Question

When confronted with the controversy and apparent poor morale of the evening shift, the unit manager decided to schedule time off for each; therefore, he(she) input the holiday schedule without consulting with the staff. A few of the staff approached the manager indicating that the problem was NOT scheduling, but rather, the team leader and her patient assignments. What was the unit manager's FIRST missed step in problem solving?

A. overlooking use of a problem solving model
B. overlooking alternatives
C. poor evaluation of outcomes
D. incorrect problem identification

Answer 1

The unit manager's first missed step was 'incorrect problem identification' because they assumed the issue was scheduling without consulting the staff, who indicated the problem was with team leadership and patient assignments.

Step-by-step explanation:

The unit manager's first missed step in problem solving was D. incorrect problem identification. By scheduling time off without consulting with the staff, the manager assumed that the issue was related to scheduling when in fact the staff indicated that the real issue was with the team leader and how patient assignments were being distributed. The manager failed to identify the actual problem before implementing a solution, which is a critical mistake in the problem-solving process. Consulting with the staff would have allowed the manager to gather essential information and correctly identify the core issue affecting evening shift morale.